Baby Reindeer or Ripley? Stars gear up for Emmy Awards

Stars of Baby Reindeer, The Bear and The Crown are among those gearing up for the Emmys, the television industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony.

Ripley, Shogun, Abbott Elementary, Slow Horses, 3 Body Problem and Only Murders in the Building are among the other shows competing for the top prizes in Los Angeles.

Big names in the running for acting honours include Idris Elba, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster and Robert Downey Jr.

Sunday’s event comes just eight months after the last Emmys ceremony, which was delayed from its usual September slot to this January because of the Hollywood strikes.

This year’s hosts are Canadian father-and-son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy.

The pair are best known for starring together in and creating Schitt’s Creek, the sitcom that blew up during the first Covid lockdown and dominated the 2020 Emmy Awards.

Before that, dad Eugene, 77, had a long and successful career in film and television, with roles in American Pie and For Your Consideration, while Dan, 41, has appeared in Sex Education, Modern Family and Netflix film Good Grief.

“For two Canadians who won our Emmys in a literal quarantine tent, the idea of being asked to host this year in an actual theatre was incentive enough,” the pair said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to raise a glass to this extraordinary season of television.”

Elsewhere, Selena Gomez, Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Jimmy Kimmel, Christine Baranski, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Steve Martin will all present individual awards.

It looks like some kind of West Wing reunion could be on the cards too, as Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Jimmy Smits, Dulé Hill and Janel Moloney are all listed on the category presenters’ list.

A Happy Days reunion is also likely, with Ron Howard and Henry Winkler both set to appear as the show celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The Emmys split their nominations into three categories – comedy, drama and limited series.

Traditionally, the most prestigious category of the night is best drama series – and the same shows often win year after year.

Seven of the last nine years have seen either Succession or Game of Thrones take the top Emmy. But now both have ended, the field is open for a potential newcomer to take their place.

This year’s best drama nominees are 3 Body Problem, The Morning Show, Fallout, Shogun, The Gilded Age, Slow Horses and Mr and Mrs Smith, alongside another previous winner, The Crown.

Arguably the most interesting category this year is best limited series, where Baby Reindeer leads the field.

Scottish comedian Richard Gadd’s account of being stalked by a woman for several years, and being sexually abused by a male TV industry figure, has been the most talked about show of the year.

But the real-life woman who allegedly inspired the stalker character is suing Netflix for defamation, negligence and privacy violations. Could that take some of the shine off the show and cost it votes at the Emmys?

Baby Reindeer’s competitors for best limited series are Fargo, Lessons in Chemistry, Ripley and True Detective: Night Country.

Meanwhile, nominees in the comedy categories include Hacks, Reservation Dogs, Abbott Elementary, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Palm Royale, What We Do in the Shadows and Only Murders in the Building.

However, the comedy categories are likely to be dominated by The Bear, something which is in itself controversial because many people think the show isn’t a comedy and shouldn’t be competing there.

Far be it from us to speculate about why this show is submitted as a comedy – but some people might wonder if it’s because this category is a little easier to win, with less serious competition than in drama.

Having said that, the third season of The Bear has not been as acclaimed by critics or loved by fans as the first two, so there’s no guarantee it will score as many wins as its earlier seasons did.

Read more about the Emmy-nominated shows:

As usual, the main ceremony is taking place a week after the Creative Arts Emmys, which saw Dick Van Dyke and Jamie Lee Curtis among the winners.

The ceremony will begin at the Peacock Theatre in LA at 20:00 ET/17:00 PT on Sunday.

US viewers can watch it live on ABC, or on streaming service Hulu the next day.

In the UK, it will start at 01:00 BST on Monday morning. But no UK broadcaster is scheduled to show it.

Outstanding drama series

• The Crown
• Fallout
• The Gilded Age
• The Morning Show
• Mr & Mrs Smith
• Shogun
• Slow Horses
• 3 Body Problem

Outstanding comedy series

• Abbott Elementary
• The Bear
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Hacks
• Only Murders in the Building
• Palm Royale
• Reservation Dogs
• What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding limited or anthology series

• Baby Reindeer
• Fargo
• Lessons in Chemistry
• Ripley
• True Detective: Night Country

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

• Idris Elba – Hijack
• Donald Glover – Mr & Mrs Smith
• Walton Goggins – Fallout
• Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
• Hiroyuki Sanada – Shogun
• Dominic West – The Crown

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

• Jennifer Aniston – The Morning Show
• Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age
• Maya Erskine – Mr & Mrs Smith
• Anna Sawai – Shogun
• Imelda Staunton – The Crown
• Reese Witherspoon – The Morning Show

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

• Matt Berry – What We Do in the Shadows
• Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building
• Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
• Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
• D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai – Reservation Dogs

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
• Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
• Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building
• Maya Rudolph – Loot
• Jean Smart – Hacks
• Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale

Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Matt Bomer – Fellow Travelers
• Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer
• Jon Hamm – Fargo
• Tom Hollander – Feud: Capote vs The Swans
• Andrew Scott – Ripley

Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie

• Jodie Foster – True Detective: Night Country
• Brie Larson – Lessons in Chemistry
• Juno Temple – Fargo
• Sofía Vergara – Griselda
• Naomi Watts – Feud: Capote vs The Swans